BO: The Gross of It

I've recently been paying a LOT more attention to my body and what it's telling me.  The last few weeks I've been noticing a strange scent to my body odor.  It's not the usual sweat odor I've had in the past.  What does it smell like?  Well, slightly like ammonia.  What causes this body odor?  Too much protein, not enough low glycemic index carbohydrates; nuts, dairy, veggies, soy milk, pasta, fruits, rice, popcorn, oatmeal, citrus fruits, peaches, apples, prunes,  pineapple, leafy greens, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower....there's more, but there's a good basis, and not enough water!  So, as usual, I'm going to talk up WATER!  It's good for you, it helps your body release toxins and balance pH....DRINK IT!  Not tea, coffee, soda, juice, sports drinks....just WATER!  Now, the good of lately, I've been really watching what I eat, so much that the bad has happened, I don't have enough carbohydrates in my body.  I haven't been working out extremely hard, but have been living a VERY active lifestyle full of kid chasing, housework and traveling. 

Getting Closer...

In my health and fitness goals, I'm getting closer all the time.  I've lost enough fat that my husband actually told me to buy new clothes.  So, I got online to order some clothes only to have no idea what size to order.  So, measurements are what I had to go off of.  In taking my measurements, I realized in the last month I've taken another 2 inches off my waist!  What a great feeling to work hard at fitness and nutrition for months and be able to see such a difference.

What am I doing to make this difference? 

Shakeology, for 120 days, I've been drinking it faithfully.  It's not a miracle shake that makes you lose weight....or is it?  In drinking it faithfully, it has cleansed my body, shrank my stomach, kept me from getting hungry, given me the energy I need to keep up with my boys (18 months and 3 years) and a puppy, curbed cravings, kicked a nasty cup-a-day coffee habit AND best of all, it tastes good!

Staying active.  Whether it's P90X before the kids get up, swimming laps through the lunch hour, H2O aerobics in the evening, chasing 2 kids and a puppy or just getting out and enjoying the nice weather, I have been more active in the last 120 days than I have in the last few years.  Even though my boys sleep through the night, I have a puppy that needs let out.  So, for those moms out there that think they can't do this because they don't have the energy, try the Shakeology.  It helps!

Eating right.  I'm working with the 80/20 rule.  Shakeology helps, I get one solid, great, nutritionally sound meal in that.  Snacks thoughout the day and fruits and veggies help curb snacking on the bad stuff.  And, WATER.  Lots and lots of water!

Lift Weights!

There's not one fit person out there that got that way by sitting on the couch.  That said, if you're wanting to lose weight or gain weight, strength training should be in your life, it will change your body.  You're not going to put on superhero muscles just because you lift weights.  Small amount of weight with lots of repetitions goes a LONG way.  It causes a raise in metabolism, strengthens your bones, increases endurance, improves coordination and balance and raises self-esteem and confidence.  I'd say the benefits are huge!

Where do you start?

Overload your muscles.  Pick a small amount of weight, for example 3 pounds.  Do 25 repetitions.  Pick it up, put it down.  Then do it differently.  Again. And Again. And Again. (The Again and Again and Again are called "sets")

Now, when that 3 pounds get too easy, Add Intensity, or add 2 more pounds.  Then when that gets too easy add more and so on.

Target all major muscle groups and specific muscles.  For example, leg raises: do them to the back, side and front in a variety of large and small to target all muscles.  For arms, same concept.  Don't forget core muscles too!  They're the most important for stability and balance.  As we get older, stability and balance are our biggest problems as bi-pods.
1000+ Workout Routines!

Rest and Recovery is also important to give your muscles time to recover.  Don't focus on the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.  Do arms, then legs, then arms and core, then legs, then arms, then legs and core....you get the point.


To avoid injury make sure to stretch, breathe, warm up and stand up straight!
 5 Common Strength Training Mistakes


Try This! Body Weight Workout (Modified if Needed):
15 Jump Squats
20 Push Ups
15 Pull Ups
15 Walking Lunges
15 Tricep Dips
15 Inverted Pull Ups

LOVING Turbo Fire!

Check out Turbo Fire!  I LOVE these workouts.  It comes with resistance bands and a nutrition plan to get your body well on its way to FIT!

Supplements: The Skinny on Raspberry Ketones

Since February, when Dr. Oz featured raspberry ketones on his show, calling them "a miracle fat burner in a bottle with no side effects" these pills have been all the rave for fat busters everywhere.  I've finally finished my research on raspberry ketones, ketones, fat loss, hormones, toxins....okay, I read a lot and now I'm here to tell you all about it.

I'll start with and answer to What are Ketones?

Ketones are a by-product resulting in the breakdown of fat or fatty acids.  They're used by the liver and kidneys for energy.

Ketosis is elevated levels of ketone in the body and bloodstream.

The original ketogenic diet was Atkins.  It was all the rave about 10 years ago or so.  It was high in fat, people loved it, cardiologists made lots of money off of it.  A ketogenic diet allows the body to utilize fat better as an energy source. When you increase the available ketones in the body and bloos stream, it establishes a metabolic state of ketosis and breaks down excess fatty acids, regulates adiponectin and boosts metabolism.

Okay, if some of that was above your head, no worries, you'll get it by the end of this.  Read it twice if you have to.  Hell, it'd probably take me three times.

Does it work?  Yes.  Ketones are found in raspberries, coconut oil and coconut milk...well, coconuts I guess.

Raspberry ketones in the form of pills are the equivalent of 90 pounds of raspberries.  These ketones alter lipid metabolism and boost fatty acid oxidation and burn more fat in a shorter amount of time.  It supports the breakdown of fat.  It will help you break through a weight loss plateau, but there are other alternatives for that too.

You eat, your body's bloodstream is supplied with with more glucose.  That satisfies hunger.  Your cells are either metabolizing glucose or storing glucose, as fat.  If fed regularly, every 2-3 hours, your body doesn't store glucose efficiently, it just metabolizes most of it.  If you're NOT eating regularly, your body starts storing the glucose as a defense against starvation.  Then the fat storage continues until your body gets fed regularly.

Now, your brain controls it all.  By taking 100 mg of raspberry ketones, you increase the available ketones in the body and bloodstream.  This establishes a metabolic state of ketosis and breaks down excess fatty acids.    Since your liver and kidneys are metabolizing your extra glucose (fat), your brain starts feeding on ketones while your body feeds on fat.  This is flushing out all the toxins your body stores in the fat cells.  Heavy metals are a key toxin stored in fat cells.  Heavy metals effect the body in a negative way; inducing chronic stress, inflamation, malnutrition and hormone imbalances.  Now, hormone imbalances can cause all kinds of problems with body function.  Everything from depression, sleep apnea, diabetes, obesity, mood swings, infertility and most forms of cancer.  See why obesity is often a key factor in some of these disorders?

We're chemical beings in nature.  We have sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, noradrenaline that makes us walk upright, insulin and glucagon that regulate blood sugar.  Some hormones come in pairs to balance, some don't.  But they're all specific in what they do.

What do raspberry ketones have to do with hormone imbalance.  They can help flush the fat that contains the toxins that are stored in fat that cause the hormone imbalances that cause problems and symptoms that many people experience.

Ok, now, Dr. oz said "without side effects".  Well, raspberry ketones don't come without risk.  And, when I first heard raspberry ketones, this is exactly what came to my mind.  If ketones populate the bloodstream and spill into the urine, it can make you sick.  So, if you're taking raspberry ketones, keep the H2O flowing into your body.  It'll help flush fat and toxins out too!

Raspberry ketones without proper diet and exercise aren't going to magically flush all the fat out of your body.  In general avoid processed food-like products and eat the real stuff.  Drink plenty of water; not soda, not energy drinks, not coffee....good ol' H2O and stay hydrated.  It's key in not overeating, staying hydrated, flushing out the bad stuff and keeping your body working smoothly.  I can't stress enough the importance of water in your diet.